Animal Well

Animal Well is packed with more things to do and secrets to find than most other games.

So, it’s not about if you’ll play Animal Well, but when. I feel like it’s the perfect case study for how games should approach game design with player agency. You know the phrase, can’t put a square peg into a round hole? Well, this is the kind of game that wants you to at least try. I’ve never been so lost and yet so motivated at the same time. So confused, and yet, have several options and directions that I can take. So confident, only to be tested moments later. Animal Well is a masterpiece.

Explore a bright vision of subterranean nature in this astonishingly rich Metroidvania.

Animal Well is one of the most interesting indie games released so far in 2024. It starts from a known formula, as a metroidvania, but twists it into something different and takes us to a less explored terrain, full of mysteries and secrets. A special game, that you should play as soon as you can, specially if you love the genre.

Animal Well is a masterclass in puzzle design, with tight platforming, set in a beautiful, oftentimes perilous world. It's actually at its weakest when it's just a Metroidvania, and instead, its world and the genre serve as a way to deliver some of the most intricate, interconnected puzzles of any game I've ever played.

Animal Well is a must-play if there has ever been one. The game should offer a great experience for fans of the Metroidvania genre and total newcomers to the genre alike. While it has many of the familiar trappings that have made the genre stick around for so long, it also adds something interesting and new with its setting and game mechanics.

Animal Well brought a new breath to the metroidvania genre with its clever puzzles, endless mysteries, great-looking pixel design and intriguing exploration structure. Animal Well will be in the 2020s what FEZ was in the 2010s.

Animal Well isn’t some grand adventure or sweeping artistic statement. It’s just a boatload of tiny interconnected puzzles, woven together to form an almost unimaginably intricate web.

Anyone who falls into this well won't want to leave it any time soon: Animal Well is a Metroidvania milestone.

After a few hours it really starts to be felt that this game would benefit from more atmospheric music, for longer periods. Minus that, I have no complaints about this lovely indie gem.

The fascination of those lingering unknowns is part of why Basso's remarkable indie debut takes up residence in your brain when you're not playing it. But on a more fundamental level, it is simply a beautifully constructed, wonderfully characterful adventure, one that marks the blossoming of a major talent. [Issue#398, p.98]

Animal Well brings unique ideas to a genre that doesn’t often get them, with a firm grasp on how to design a world that constantly pushes you to explore deeper. All of its tools are things the genre hasn’t seen before, and that novelty makes you feel incredibly smart solving puzzles the likes of which you’ve never seen in any other game before.

Animal Well is a unique experience that will appeal both to lovers of platformers with metroidvania elements and to those who appreciate creative puzzles and mysterious atmospheres. The fascinating visual style, combined with a very solid game system that is easy to learn and difficult to master, make it an unmissable title for those looking for an original, fun and highly replayable journey.

Animal Well is something quite remarkable. A Metroidvania title that still feels fresh in 2024 thanks to its puzzle-centric gameplay, incredible atmosphere and army of secrets to discover, this is a must-play for those who like a bit of mystery in their games. Players should just make sure to discover the secrets themselves.

Animal Well is a Metroidvania that stands out in a crowded marketplace thanks to a lack of combat and some seriously creative power ups.

A sleep-destroying puzzle metroidvania of baffling depth, Animal Well may go down in history as one of the genre's best.

This is a game that's chock full of pleasant surprises, from the way its items forgo tradition in interesting ways to the visual design and sense of atmosphere generated by its bizarre, neon-soaked world. Animal Well might look antiquated and familiar at first glance, but this well is cavernous and unpredictable.

The level design is excellent, the platforming controls perfectly after a short time to get a feel for it, and the moody art is far more detailed with fancy effects than its pixely nature shows in screenshots. The heart of the game is its mysteries, though, whether that be something as basic as scanning the map for breaks in the wall that indicate a missed secret passage, or realizing that one of the tools has a less-obvious ability that completely changes how useful it is. Even beating the game is just another step towards solving it, because the credit roll means a whole new set of more intricate puzzles has opened up. Animal Well is a stunner of a metroidvania, usually charming but frequently creepy, mysterious but by no means unapproachable, and filled from top to bottom with secrets that are always satisfying to uncover.

Animal Well is stubbornly traditional in keeping you in the dark as you embark on your adventure, but that's firmly to its credit as you unravel the mysteries sprinkled around its map. Puzzles involving animals, toys and mechanical devices demand creative thinking, while the sense that nothing is quite as it seems never lets up. This is an endlessly inventive Metroidvania with unfathomable depth.

Animal Well delivers a gorgeous art style paired with unique gameplay and an uncompromising vision.

Animal Well surprised me around every turn. What I expected to be yet another Metroidvania quickly became one of the most memorable gaming experiences I’ve had in recent years. Its a game that you’ll get out of it as much as you put in. If you want to see credits and be done, you’ll have a great time. However, if you want to see how deep the well truly goes, you’ll be embarking on a journey you may not have been prepared for. I assure you, the twists and turns and conundrums you will come across are well worth your time.

A true video game enthusiast cannot remain indifferent to the romantic figure of the solo developer who brings their creation to life driven by pure passion, even going so far as to program the game engine themselves just to translate their aspirations into the form they deem most authentic. If this developer then manages to craft a high-level gaming experience — one of the best in the metroidvania genre — supporting them becomes the least one can do, not just because it's the right thing to do, but because rewarding the most valuable and passionate projects is the best way to ensure we’ll see more beautiful games in the future. Experiencing something like Animal Well is an act of love, both for oneself and for video games.

A fascinating two-faced videogame, a bit puzzler and a bit platformer, based on excellent level design, enchanting sound design and lovely pixelart.

Uncover secrets, evade dangers, and embark on an eerie journey in ANIMAL WELL. Billy Basso has crafted a dark neon aesthetic and enigmatic gameplay that delivers a Metroidvania unlike many others. The mystery and cryptic puzzles won’t be for everyone, but those who enjoy a challenge and a good platformer will be rewarded with a haunting adventure.

Animal Well is an extraordinary Metroidvania with a dense atmosphere, as well as creative puzzles and platformer passages that often lure players out of their comfort zone.

Overall, Animal Well is a visually striking 2D metroidvania that immerses you in a pixelated world full of mysteries. As you explore this intricate “puzzle box world,” you’ll rely on a variety of items to navigate its passages and uncover hidden secrets. While the game definitely caters to completionists, there’s plenty here for all players to enjoy. The core gameplay is packed with puzzles, intriguing locations, and a sense of discovery that will keep you engaged. BIGMODE definitely found a great debut game and developer in Billy Basso, and I hope their relationship brings a fresh and innovative energy to the gaming scene once again.

Animal Well's deep secrets and arresting atmosphere will suck you down the rabbit hole.

Despite its confusing fast travel system and misbehaving yo-yo, Animal Well is a bizarre yet brilliant neon-bathed adventure, characterized by tricky puzzles, intense platforming, and a host of cute animals - almost all of which are out to kill you.